We seek to understand and document all radio transmissions, legal and otherwise, as part of the radio listening hobby. We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations. Always consult with the appropriate authorities if you have questions concerning what is permissible in your locale.

Author Topic: DNR beacon at 13562 kHz  (Read 5696 times)

Offline Token

  • Global Moderator
  • DX Legend
  • *****
  • Posts: 2118
    • View Profile
Re: DNR beacon at 13562 kHz
« Reply #15 on: December 21, 2017, 1501 UTC »
Interesting beacon, looks like it is transmitting quite a bit of telemetry. Some voltages, and a rather high temperature  ;D

Unless that is supposed to be 15.1 and the decimal point got left out.  Note that in the VS and VB there is a decimal.

This beacon is very similar to a beacon I recorded about 3 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B98JUpTJDng

That one was on air for a few weeks, and I think was heard across several states.  However, I have not heard it in a long time.

T!
T!
Mojave Desert, California USA

Offline Strange Beacons

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 264
  • Naples, Florida USA
    • View Profile
    • Strange Beacons Website
Re: DNR beacon at 13562 kHz
« Reply #16 on: December 21, 2017, 1610 UTC »
Interesting beacon, looks like it is transmitting quite a bit of telemetry. Some voltages, and a rather high temperature  ;D

Unless that is supposed to be 15.1 and the decimal point got left out.  Note that in the VS and VB there is a decimal.

This beacon is very similar to a beacon I recorded about 3 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B98JUpTJDng

That one was on air for a few weeks, and I think was heard across several states.  However, I have not heard it in a long time.

T!

In the description of the video that you linked to, you wrote: "The signal typically comes up after dark at my location, can be heard for an hour or two, and then slowly fades down to undetectable."

I've been monitoring this new beacon for the past few days and it is exhibiting the exact same schedule and characteristics as how you describe the DRNK beacon in your video, along with transmitting similar "telemetry" data (the most obvious similarity beyond the identifier).

Would it be a safe guess to suggest that the beacon is likely unattended, is dormant as it charges its battery via solar panel during the day, turns on at night via a light sensor, then runs until its battery starts to fade?

Curt / W9SPY

Offline Token

  • Global Moderator
  • DX Legend
  • *****
  • Posts: 2118
    • View Profile
Re: DNR beacon at 13562 kHz
« Reply #17 on: December 21, 2017, 1735 UTC »

In the description of the video that you linked to, you wrote: "The signal typically comes up after dark at my location, can be heard for an hour or two, and then slowly fades down to undetectable."

I've been monitoring this new beacon for the past few days and it is exhibiting the exact same schedule and characteristics as how you describe the DRNK beacon in your video, along with transmitting similar "telemetry" data (the most obvious similarity beyond the identifier).

Would it be a safe guess to suggest that the beacon is likely unattended, is dormant as it charges its battery via solar panel during the day, turns on at night via a light sensor, then runs until its battery starts to fade?

Curt / W9SPY

In the case of DRNK the lowest battery voltage I remember it presenting was 12.8 or 12.7 (assuming the VB field was battery voltage).  If this was a lead-acid battery and VDC the battery should have been still good enough.  Also I occasionally, when conditions permitted, would catch it just before sunrise and still hear it on with good battery indications.

I always got the impression it (DRNK) was night time only, dusk to dawn, and that the fading was simply conditions.  It typically faded as the band should have been going longer, so my assumption was that the beacon was in a location where at the beginning of the night I had a good path (very little fading, almost ground wave or direct path) but then as the night progressed it skipped over me.

Not really sure how any of that would fit into DNR, even assuming they are related.  The values given in your recording for VB and VS are under 5 V.  Assuming they are real this would indicate it is not a 12 Volt battery like DRNK presumably was.  Of course, that fits.  If this is a legal beacon the low power levels required would work just fine on 5 VDC (or even 3 VDC) instead of a heavier and more expensive 12 volt lead acid battery.  I said "Assuming they are real" for a reason.  If, in your recording, VB is battery voltage and VS is solar voltage, why was the VS still so high (in your second recording) well after sundown anyplace in the contiguous US or Mexico?

T!
T!
Mojave Desert, California USA

Offline Strange Beacons

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 264
  • Naples, Florida USA
    • View Profile
    • Strange Beacons Website
Re: DNR beacon at 13562 kHz
« Reply #18 on: December 22, 2017, 0318 UTC »
I've been monitoring the DNR beacon frequency off and on since sunset today and haven't heard a single dash, nor dit/dah. Perhaps this signal has once again popped up, only to fade away again.

Curt / W9SPY

Offline Token

  • Global Moderator
  • DX Legend
  • *****
  • Posts: 2118
    • View Profile
Re: DNR beacon at 13562 kHz
« Reply #19 on: December 30, 2017, 1617 UTC »
This was back on last night.  Format seems to have changed again slightly, there was more data in the CW this time.  And there is definitely something happening at the end of each dash, some kind of dual freq thing, maybe FSK.

T!
T!
Mojave Desert, California USA